Health Benefits of House Plants

The past many weeks of cold weather and snow may have kept us indoors more than normal. For those of us that miss the outdoors and our gardens, we can fill our homes with flowering plants and tropical foliage plants. This way we can bring the richness of our gardens into our houses and it doesn’t feel like sprint is too far away. We may enjoy the fabulous visual displays that those cheery flowers and lush foliage plants add to our homes, but did you know that having plants in our homes has several other benefits?

 Plants help reduce stress and create a feeling of well-being

Just like we feel more relaxed in our gardens and in the outdoors, bringing plants into our homes has the same benefits. Studies have shown that having that greenery and flowers in our homes makes us feel more at ease with our surroundings. We experience less stress when there are plants around us.

Plants can even be a part of healing. A study at the Kansas State University found that bringing flowers or plants to hospital patients may helping patients recover. The study found that viewing plants during recovery from surgery led to a significant improvement in physiologic responses as evidenced by lower systolic blood pressure, and lower ratings of pain, anxiety, and fatigue as compared to patients without plants in their rooms.

A study by the Texas A&M University found that patients who physically interact with plants experience a significantly reduced recovery time after medical procedures.

Plants help improve air quality

Plants also help to improve our indoor living environment in variety of ways. NASA has spent a lot of time researching air quality in sealed environments and the link between indoor air quality and house plants. Studies have shown that plants help reduce carbon dioxide levels, they increase humidity, they reduce the levels of certain pollutants (such as benzene and nitrogen dioxide), they reduce airborne dust levels, and they help to moderate temperatures.

We have a rich supply of lush foliage and flowering plants to choose from at our local garden centres. Head out and bring some nature and health into your home.

Foliage plant photo courtesy of Minter Gardens.